BY VICTOR BUORO – Former Governor of Kano State and Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has publicly called on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to abandon his bid for 2027 presidency.
In an interesting twist ahead of next year’s general elections, Senator Kwankwaso said Atiku, who is the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), should consider stepping aside from the high-stakes contest and devote his time as an elder statesman to building national cohesion.
The former Kano Governor, who dropped the political bombshell while hosting members of the Fulani Farmers Association (FFA) at his private residence in Abuja, cited the veteran politician’s advanced age and health concerns.
He told the delegation: “Go to the Wazirin of Adamawa’s house and tell him in Fulani that he needs to focus on his traditional title of Wazirin, given his age and health. If Allah grants us success, we will take good care of him, especially since you all come from Adamawa. An apology should be offered to him.”
Meanwhile, the former Vice President had in April this tear signaled that the 2027 presidential election may be his final attempt to become Nigeria’s leader, citing his age and the high stakes involved.
While responding to a question on whether turning 80 by 2027 would make the stakes higher for him, Atiku said it would likely be his last outing in the presidential race, saying: “Certainly yes, because the stakes are higher and I believe that will be my last outing.”
Going by available records, the NDC Presidential Standard bearer has made multiple attempts to become Nigeria’s president since returning to partisan politics in 2003. He made his first presidential run in 1993 during the Third Republic under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries before stepping down for the late Chief MKO Abiola.
In 2007, he ran as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress (AC) while serving as sitting Vice President, but finished behind Umaru Musa Yar’Adua while also contesting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary in 2011 and losing the nomination to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
He was back on the starting block again in 2015 seeking the presidential ticket of the then newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the general election, losing the primary to Muhammadu Buhari. Having returned to the PDP, he secured the Party’s presidential ticket in 2019 and ran as the main opposition candidate, losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
Another of his attempt came in 2023 having won the PDP presidential primary again, but finished second behind Bola Tinubu in a keenly contested race that saw Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) placed third.
The former Vice President, who has consistently positioned himself as a long-time advocate of restructuring, economic liberalisation and private sector-driven growth, will be making his seventh overall bid at presidency come 2027, having captured the presidential ticket of ADC for his seventh overall bid, following his eventual exit from the fractured PDP.
